FW to MK boat transportation changes.

[proudmomof4]

Over on the WL resort thread, there is a post about changes to the boat transportation which is also affecting FW.

https://www.disboards.com/threads/disneys-wilderness-lodge.3894123/page-80#post-66408559

posted by mrsap

Magic Kingdom Water Taxi Service to Nearby Resorts Makes Major Change​

The complimentary water taxi service from Magic Kingdom to Fort Wilderness and Wilderness Lodge has changed protocols, affecting some transportation wait times and policies.


Previously, there was one boat route that took guests between Magic Kingdom and Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground. Another, totally separate boat traveled to and from Disney’s Wilderness Lodge.

Now, one boat is transporting guests to both resorts, leaving Magic Kingdom and stopping at Wilderness Lodge first before heading to the campgrounds.


This means there is no longer a direct boat to the campgrounds, creating a backup at the Fort Wilderness dock. What used to be a 20 minute boat journey from the park to the campgrounds has become roughly 35 minutes with the additional Wilderness Lodge stop.


The change reportedly has to do with the amount of boats that can accommodate scooters and strollers. Scooters can only travel on the large enclosed boats, not the small open air boats. And strollers have to be folded up on the small boats.

With the updated route, a large boat now stops at both resorts, followed closely by a small boat.

A third water taxi connects Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Contemporary Resort, and Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, but this route does not begin operating until the afternoon.

 

[Kite16510]

 

[fla4fun]

I wonder how much pressure this will put on the bus to MK? We usually take the bus instead of the boat for the AC.

 

[gottalovepluto]

I wonder how much pressure this will put on the bus to MK? We usually take the bus instead of the boat for the AC.

The conspiracy theorist in me suspects Disney is trying to push more people to the buses. That DVC property is gonna add even more demand, it's not exactly small, so they know they've got a problem coming up and need new transport or more efficient current transport. Now, the boats will be more efficient guest load wise because they'll run at a higher capacity- if guests don't balk too much about the boat times or refuse to take the bus instead. So, kinda seems like ultimately they either update the boat fleet to meet current and future demands or get people to pick buses instead. (And don't get me going on the ECV thing, the taxi route in the afternoon normally doesn't even run boats that can accommodate ECVs and any complaints about the boats and ECVs in our experience is always met with "just take the bus". That is not the driving factor here.)

Be real interesting on that big boat when the heat hits and you're in a sweatbox for 35 mins instead of 20 mins...

 

[DL1WDW2]

The new Lakeshore Lodge will have a new dock to travel to MK .
They are currently building it according to the castmember that picked us up Sunday and we could see the construction work from the boat .
Can anybody tell me if this looks like a Dock under construction?

 

[team bradfield]

Dock without additional boats is meaningless

 

[DL1WDW2]

Dock without additional boats is meaningless

I think WDW already knows they need to have more bigger boats to handle the stroller/ scooters . , crowds.

 

[galnar]

This is very concerning. We use the boat exclusively to get to MK.

 

[proudmomof4]

The new Lakeshore Lodge will have a new dock to travel to MK .
They are currently building it according to the castmember that picked us up Sunday and we could see the construction work from the boat .
Can anybody tell me if this looks like a Dock under construction?

View attachment 1019097View attachment 1019098

Yes, they are building a dock for LSL, but for those folks staying on the Pioneer Hall side of the resort and on Clementine's Beach, do we think they are going to walk all the way over to "their" dock on the other side of the resort? I don't think so, I think they will take the easier/shorter walk to the Fort dock.

 

[greeneyedchick]

The Disney of yesteryear would upgrade all of their boats to big boats that accommodate scooters and continue the 2 separate boat routes. That would be the customer-friendly thing to do. Instead they are creating inconvenience, most likely to save on their bottom-line.

 

[SL6827]

The Disney of yesteryear would upgrade all of their boats to big boats that accommodate scooters and continue the 2 separate boat routes. That would be the customer-friendly thing to do. Instead they are creating inconvenience, most likely to save on their bottom-line.

Of course.

 

[Dakota731]

I didn’t know you could take a bus to MK from Ft Wilderness - good to know.

 

[Douglas Dubh]

Now, one boat is transporting guests to both resorts, leaving Magic Kingdom and stopping at Wilderness Lodge first before heading to the campgrounds.

This is not true. There are still two boats going to and from MK and the fort, and two boats between MK and the Lodge. Occasionally the same boat will go to both, but that would be due to weather or mechanical problems, and would be temporary.

 

[Douglas Dubh]

I think WDW already knows they need to have more bigger boats to handle the stroller/ scooters . , crowds.

There are two more cruisers on order.

 

[proudmomof4]

This is not true. There are still two boats going to and from MK and the fort, and two boats between MK and the Lodge. Occasionally the same boat will go to both, but that would be due to weather or mechanical problems, and would be temporary.

I’m relieved to hear that!

 

[wdw_dine_junkie]

I’m here now, that article is definitely fake news. No stop at WL to get to/from MK

 

[gottalovepluto]

I’m here now, that article is definitely fake news. No stop at WL to get to/from MK

Sounds like it was a test after all then!

 

[Brian Noble]

I wonder if this was a short-term thing due to one of the cruisers being out of service for a repair. If memory serves, there were (at least) three boats on the WL<->MK and Fort<->MK routes. WL<->MK has one Cruiser and one Water Taxi. The Fort<->MK route has at least one Cruiser (and maybe also a Water Taxi, I don't know). The water taxi cannot accommodate roll-aboard guests, but the cruisers can. If one of the cruisers was down for maintenance/repair, it would make sense to cycle the other one on a loop through all three destinations.

 

[Douglas Dubh]

If memory serves, there were (at least) three boats on the WL<->MK and Fort<->MK routes. WL<->MK has one Cruiser and one Water Taxi. The Fort<->MK route has at least one Cruiser (and maybe also a Water Taxi, I don't know).

There are four cruisers and six launches (what you called a water taxi). When the cruisers are all operating one will go to the Grand and Poly, one to the Lodge, and two to the fort. They will also run a launch to the Grand and Poly, and a launch to the lodge. If one of the cruisers goes out of service, it gets replaced by a launch.

One cruiser was being refurbished earlier this year and when it came back, another went back for some work. So recently it’s been one cruiser and one launch on each route.

Launches go down when there’s lightning. When that happens at least two cruisers will go to both the lodge and the fort.

The blue flag route between the contemporary, the lodge, and the fort is serviced by two launches starting at 3 pm. If there is an ecv wanting to go on the blue flag, the launch captain will ask a cruiser to make an extra stop.

 

[bama_ed]

There are four cruisers and six launches. When the cruisers are all operating one will go to the Grand and Poly, one to the Lodge, and two to the fort. They will also run a launch to the Grand and Poly, and a launch to the lodge. If one of the cruisers goes out of service, it gets replaced by a launch. One cruiser was being refurbished earlier this year and when it came back, another went back for some work.

This answer actually makes sense.

The initial report of this boating change didn't make any sense. It explained WHAT was supposedly happening but not WHY. One of those W cannot stand without the other W. This explanation from @Douglas Dubh addresses both. Thank you, my dude.

With another resort on Bay Lake (the eyesore behind Pioneer Hall) coming on line soon, Disney will need a couple more big boats (I guess that's the cruisers that can accomodate ECVs) and small boats (the launches that look something like the Jungle Cruise boats [different seating]).

I still miss the small boats running FW-WL-CR from early in the morning till late at night. We would ride the small boat to CR and walk to the MK gates when the kids were younger.

Bama Ed